I actually have the students bring the ingredients. I tell them that this shouldn't be an expensive project and that they should pretty much be able to find the ingredients in their pantries at home. The groups decide what they are going to make and then they split up what ingredients they are in charge of bringing. I have flour and sugar on hand that they can use but other than that they have to supply everything else. I tell my students that if they can't afford to buy ingredients to send me an email and I will supply their part for them. Even though they are only in 8th grade, they really bring the ingredients and get really excited about it.
Kate Barker

All of you who do Iron Chef: It sounds really fun to me, I’m just wondering about the food for the day and the different ingredients. Do you go buy all the different foods that they need or do they have to arrange for the food themselves? I’m just wondering about the managing this lab.

Ruth Merrill

West Lake Jr.

I also teach at a middle school and do an Iron Chef competition at the end of the semester. I don't have a secret ingredient. Instead, they have to make an entree, appetizer, dessert, and drink by including every food group in the whole meal. They have to decide as a group a theme for their meal (Italian, Mexican, Fine Dining, Breakfast, Picnic, Green, etc.) and then they choose what they want to make and plan it out. They have two days to cook the food in class and the third day I give them 10 minutes at the beginning of class to plate their food and set everything up before they present their plates and the judges judge the food. It has been really fun and the students get really excited about it.
Kate Barker
Dixon Middle School

I have done "Iron Chef" at Rocky Mountain Junior High for many years. The very easiest competition is "The One Egg-One Bread Challenge" for individual students. The bread could be their choice (or not). Another great one is an Iron Chef Contest I have each Kitchen plan and make a "Birthday Cake Challenge" for MY Birthday. Of course, I am the Final Judge. I haveattached four documents, below. These are easy and fun labs, with prizes.

Shelley Moser :)

Mrs. Shelley Heer Moser

Rocky Mountain Junior High

Family & Consumer Science

> King Kate <> 1/7/2010 9:42 AM >

I have done Iron chef twice in my class already. He first time we used Chicken as the secret indgredient. We've also used Eggs, and next time we are using Rice. I have 3 to 4 faculty members act as the Judges. And the winner gets dessert to go with their meal, usual ice cream bars.

The students love this activity. We usually do it at the end of the term.

2010/1/7 John Teuscher <

While I do not have the equipment or classroom to do an Iron Chef right now, I think it would be really fun to do in the future. I was just curious if anyone does anything like this:

Present ingredients to competitors, allow small amount of time to research ideas on computer, and then compete.

Or does it take away a lot of the fun by "cheating" and looking on a computer?

2010/1/7 Wendi Frederickson <

I have used seasonal ingredients like canned pumpkin, and peppermint. I try to use ingredients that can be found in several different recipes especially desserts. The Jr. High classes seem to like making treats for my Iron Chef competitions.
Good luck and have fun!
Wendi Frederickson

2010/1/7 Sarah Nielsen <

Hello fellow teachers,

I am planning on doing Iron Chef with my foods class next week. Since I am at a junior high, I don't want to use a secret ingredient that takes a while to cook such as a potato. What are some foods you have used for the secret ingredient when doing this?

-Sarah Melson